Chapter 42: Level 2 Zombie

The horrifying scene left the young livestreamer stammering: "The situation... is now in a deadlock. This young man is clearly running out of energy, circling around... while the monstrous zombie is also tiring. Who will fall first, the young man or the beast? We're going to take a break for commercials... and then continue our coverage."

You had to admire the young man's talent; within a short time, his livestream had gathered tens of thousands of viewers, and the numbers were still rising, even attracting advertisers.

But the stall owner didn't have time for commercials; he swung his knife at Mowen with deadly intent, as if trying to split the young man in two.

"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing with metal rang out, deafening.

At some point, Red Raven had shaken off the surrounding zombies and positioned himself in front of the stall owner, barely managing to block the attack without a weapon. He threw a punch that knocked the cleaver away, showcasing Red Raven's immense strength. But even his fist hurt a little; he rubbed the skin on his hand, which was already bruising.

"Such great strength!" Red Raven had to admire the stall owner's enormous power.

"Come on, let's test your strength!" Red Raven's competitive spirit was ignited. He launched punch after punch at the stall owner.

Each punch landed with a sonic boom, like cannon fire, thudding into the stall owner's flabby body, causing it to wobble, but somehow dissipating the force of the blows.

Seeing that hitting the body was ineffective, Red Raven switched targets and aimed for the stall owner's head, making the monster stagger back several steps before falling to the ground with a thud.

As the crowd cheered, the unexpectedly agile and plump stall owner stood up again. With a howl, he charged at Red Raven with such force that the ground seemed to shake, like an elephant on the rampage.

Red Raven stood proudly, like an unshakable mountain. He clasped his hands together and lifted them gracefully. His right leg elegantly wrapped around his bent left knee, forming a peculiar yet dignified stance.

The young livestreamer's eyes sparkled with excitement as he loudly announced, "My dear friends, the moment to witness a miracle is approaching! The Kung Fu monk is about to execute the legendary Shaolin Temple technique—Vajra stance.

It is not just a defensive art, but an art form, fearless and sublime.

Who will emerge victorious? We're about to find out!"

In the distance, the audience leaned forward slightly, their breaths seemingly halted. They could feel the immense energy radiating from the monk, a mix of anticipation and anxiety painting a tense scene, foretelling a clash of titanic forces.

Suddenly, monk Red Raven's body shook violently, as if struck by a speeding car, and he was hurled backward, hitting the ground with such force that it trembled. The stall owner zombie, approaching him, created a burst of hot air upon impact.

The young liverstreamer streamer, adding fuel to the fire, exclaimed rapidly, "The Shaolin monk was defeated in one hit! Looks like he's not as tough as we thought, huh?"

In an instant, everything changed, hitting him like a sudden slap.

"Whoa, check it out—the Shaolin monk's turning the tables! He totally tricked that Tier 2 zombie into coming at him, then bam! With a a flawless inverted kick, he sent that huge zombie flying! Can you believe that?"

"Bang!"

The zombie stall owner hit the ground with such force that it shook the earth and sent dust swirling into the air.

"My god! I can't believe my eyes!"

"I'm a fan of the Shaolin monk now!"

The on-screen comments scrolled rapidly, reflecting the excitement and thrill of the viewers behind the screens.

Monk Red Raven leaped from the ground with a nimble flip, soaring 2-3 meters high. From his elevated position, he punched the stall owner zombie's head, driving it into the dirt. His relentless punches caused the zombie's head to vanish from sight.

The spectators in the distance began to cheer, their voices like a roaring bonfire piercing the night. They shouted excitedly, "That was incredible!"

"Humanity has won!"

"Our hero!"

The cheers swept through the scene like a wild wind, engulfing it in a wave of celebration.

Monk Red Raven seemed to bask in the adulation, turning to face the crowd with arms outstretched, as if accepting their applause.

As the night sky enveloped the area, a hovercraft silently hovered above. Inside, a figure watched the scene below with excitement, "The human contestant actually won, it's unbelievable!"

Another voice responded, "Don't celebrate too soon! This foolish human dared to challenge a Tier 2 zombie, it's a death wish!"

"But the zombie's head has been driven into the ground, it looks hopeless for it now! That's their greatest weakness!"

"Let's place a bet. The odds are 7:3 that this human will fail. Which side do you pick?"

"Ah? It's really hard to decide!" The shadow hesitated. As if responding to his indecision, a cry arose from the audience.

"Oh no! Look, the zombie isn't dead yet!"

On the ground, the stall owner zombie had somehow sat up, grabbing Red Raven in a bear hug, locking him tightly in its embrace. No matter how Monk Red Raven kicked or head-butted, the zombie's iron grip only tightened.

The situation reversed instantly, the audience holding their breath.

"It's over, the Shaolin monk is in danger! He's caught in the death grip, there's no escape!" The liverstreamer's voice, though young, was filled with tension and anxiety, as if he were right there.

Monk Red Raven's muscles tensed, struggling desperately, but the zombie's arms were twice as thick. He tried to activate the prayer beads on his arm but couldn't reach them.

"Snap," a few beads shattered under the pressure, scattering on the ground.

As time passed, Monk Red Raven's resistance weakened, his face showing the agony of oxygen deprivation, like an animal caught in a python's coils, on the verge of having his bones crushed. His muscles nearly tearing apart, his eyes suddenly deepened, his breathing heavy, each gasp a battle with death.

The young livestreamer shook his head, saying, "When you're up against true strength, all the tricks and schemes are useless."

Nearby, Mowen sensed Red Raven's fear, determination, and will to live.

Even in the hovercraft, the shadow said dejectedly, "Against a zombie's strength, humans stand no chance."

"Do you still think the human contestant has a chance?"

"Maybe he has a hidden move, something to turn the tide?"

"I've scanned his brain, despair dominates 70%. Do you still hold onto your foolish hope?"

"Alright, I won't add any more bets!"

Suddenly, a strong gust accompanied by a dull thud struck the stall owner zombie's head with an iron pipe as thick as an arm. The force bent the pipe. Mowen hadn't expected much from this attack, but the zombie staggered, confused, turning to find the assailant.

"This is a sneak attack! My god, this young man disregards the martial code!" The liverstreamer's voice was filled with shock and anger, as if witnessing a desecration of warrior ethics.

"Go young man, keep it up!"

The audience, however, was clearly divided. Most cheered for Mowen's sneak attack. This was no ordinary arena match; the viewers' adrenaline surged, instinctively siding with the human contestant. Seeing Monk Red Raven temporarily gain the upper hand against the super-defensive stall owner zombie rekindled their hope.

The zombie, already heavily damaged in the head, was briefly stunned by the blow. No one noticed the blood on the iron pipe from Mowen's arm.

Meanwhile, Monk Red Raven, experienced and opportunistic, wouldn't miss this sudden chance. He propelled himself into the air, inverted, and escaped the zombie's grasp. 

His legs tightened around the zombie's neck like a vice, securing a Triangle Choke. A gentle "crackling" noise emerged, hinting that it could snap at any moment.

Just as everyone's attention was focused on Red Raven, Mowen suddenly caught sight of a flash of red approaching from the side.

No one expected the beautiful woman in the red dress had floated down from the wall and silently entered the dangerous battle zone. Amidst such an intense fight, most of the young men's gazes were fixed on the woman's bare back. What was even more surprising was that she walked like a cat towards Mowen.

Mowen couldn't help but glance over, distracted, and instinctively muttered, "Oh, big brother, this woman is pretty..."

However, in the next second, five sharp, blood-red nails slashed towards his carotid artery. "Oh, God....pretty dangerous!"

The sudden and unexpected attack left Mowen stunned and motionless.

Monk Red Raven was fully engaged with the zombie, and the distant spectators were either hiding or frozen in shock, unable to help.

In the moment before his life ended, Mowen's mind raced. Questions surged: "the beauty watching the fight was an assassin.

Why target me?

If she was with the zombies, why not join the attack with Monk Red Raven before?

Is this the end of my life?"

He couldn't figure it out.